The present invention relates to the field of motorized furniture, and more particularly, controllers for motorized furniture.
Reclining chairs, loveseats, and sofas are well known in the art and have become a mainstay in many households. Manual recliners typically utilize a lever or handle extending along one side of the recliner, such as a reclining chair, which releases an ottoman or footrest from the front of the chair and allows the chair to be reclined into a more prone position. Some amount of force must be exerted upon the lever to recline the chair. Likewise, another force must be exerted on the lever to bring the chair back to the original position. Disadvantageously, these manually-actuated chairs can be difficult to use for certain users, such as the elderly or physically impaired.
More recently, motorized devices have been developed that provide powered movement of a chair or the like. Motorized recliners have also been developed that allow the recliner to be adjusted into many reclined positions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,107 to Crockett discloses an apparatus for elevating and lowering an entire free standing and pre-existing seating structure, such as a house chair, recliner or sofa. In particular, the lift apparatus 20 includes an elevator means 34, a power means 44, and a control means 46. In operation, a user presses the control means or switch 46 that is secured adjacent to the armrest of the seating structure and that is connected to an electric motor 92. The switch 46 can start or stop the movement of the elevator means 34 in either direction, up or down, at any point in the range of travel of the elevator means so that the user can lower or raise themselves from the seating structure.
Motorized recliners increase consumer comfort along with safety and convenience. However, both the manual and powered recliners share similar problems, particularly regarding use by the elderly or physically impaired. More specifically, these users may have difficulty reaching or operating the lever or power controller as the recliner is set to a more reclined positions, in which the user is moved away from the armrests. Because the lever or power controller is typically located on an armrest, the user may recline to a position in which the user has difficulty reaching or is unable to reach for operation of the lever or controller. To overcome these problems, some motorized recliners provide a power controller attached to a cord so that the user can hold the power controller while adjusting the recliner to the desired position. However, the user may drop the power controller and thus be potentially trapped in a prone position. In addition, the controller cord creates clutter and an undesirable aesthetic appearance.
It would be advantageous to have a controller for a motorized recliner that is easily reachable by a user in a variety of reclined positions. It would be further advantageous if the appearance of the controller were aesthetically pleasing and did not create clutter. It would also be advantageous if the controller could not be dropped out of reach while the user is in a prone position.
The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a position controller for controlling a motorized chair comprising a track attached to a frame of the chair and a switch slidable in the track. The switch is slidable in the track so that it remains within reach of the user throughout the range of motion of the reclining chair. The position controller also includes a pressure switch that activates the position controller in response to loading of the seating area of the recliner, so that the motorized chair can be operated only by a seated user. In another aspect, the position controller preferably includes a toggle switch that the user can easily manipulate by hand to control the movement of the chair.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a motorized chair having user-supporting surfaces that are movable relative to each other and are controllable by a user sitting on the chair. The chair comprises a frame, a motor and a position controller. The frame supports at least two user-supporting surfaces that are moveable relative to each other for positioning the user across a range of motion. The motor is connected to the fame and is capable of moving the user-supported surfaces. The position controller controls the motor and includes a track and a switch. The track is supported on the frame. The switch is connected to the motor and is supported in the track at a position reachable by the user. The switch is slidable in the track so that the switch remains within reach of the user throughout the range of motion as the user-supported surfaces of the chair are moved relative to each other.
In another aspect, the motorized chair includes a pressure switch that is connected to the position controller. The pressure switch is responsive to loading of one user-supporting surface by activating the position controller. The pressure switch is also responsive to unloading of one user-supporting surface by deactivating the position controller.
In yet another embodiment, the at least two user-supporting surfaces comprise a back supporting surface, a seat supporting surface and a footrest supporting surface. In another aspect, the chair includes upholstery covering the frame and surrounding a periphery of the track.
In another aspect, the track is supported on the frame in a horizontal orientation. The horizontal orientation is parallel to an armrest of the chair. In another embodiment, the switch of the position controller is a toggle switch that can be easily manipulated by hand.
The present invention has several advantages. The user can reach the switch throughout a range of reclining positions, which prevents the user from becoming stuck in a prone position in the chair. The controller has a low, unobtrusive profile which is aesthetically pleasing, especially when surrounded by an upholstered surface. As the frame supports the track, the controller cannot be dropped or misplaced. The toggle switch can be manipulated by hand and requires little exertion, which is ideal for elderly or disabled users. The pressure switch avoids accidental movement of the chair when the weight of the user is not applied to one of the seating surfaces.